Roethlisberger gets a head start on offseason training

On March 2, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger officially will be on the wrong side of 30. He apparently plans to commemorate that event by staying on the right side of 300.

Roethisberger recently told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the quarterback already has begun working out in advance of the 2012 season.

“When I talked to Mike [Tomlin], I said I don’t know how much longer I have to play, no one does; it could be two years, three years, it could be eight years. Who knows?” Roethlisberger said.

“I’m hoping that I’m just starting in my prime. I’ve already been working out with [Garrett Giemont], our strength coach, already. I’ve never worked out this early. It’s not like high-intensity, out killing myself, but I’m working out, I want to come to camp lighter than I’ve ever come, in better shape, because as you get to a certain point, a certain age in this football thing, your body doesn’t recover like it used to,” Roethlisberger said.

It’s good that he’s committed to maintain his shape (even if it’s the shape of a barrel), but he shouldn’t be quite so candid about “working out with” the team’s strength and conditioning coach. Under Article 21, Section 2(a) of the new CBA, “strength and conditioning coaches may not direct players’ individual workouts, but may supervise use of the weight room to prevent injury and to correct misuse of the equipment” during the period before the official commencement of the offseason program.

Even though his “working out with” the strength coach may have to change, Ben continues to hope the team’s offense won’t.

“Last year, I felt really good about the year, even though we had our downfalls with injuries and stuff, but I feel like I’m coming into the prime of my career, what I hope will be my best years. So I want to make sure I’m ready to go. That’s another reason I hope our offense doesn’t change because I feel like I’m just ready to hit it full stride and go with this,” Roethlisberger said.

“If it does stay the same or if we need to tweak little things, I’ve already talked to the receivers; we’re going to get together this offseason and do some stuff — whether it’s new stuff or old stuff, because we felt we were this close.”

We’ve got a feeling that we’ll be hearing a lot more for Roethlisberger, especially if he doesn’t care for whatever “new stuff” the team may be doing on offense.

I think the Defence needs to get to work early, especially the way they were abused by Tebow and company. Oh and the defensive coaches should join, seeing as they continued to not give Gay any safety help and allowed Polamalu to make a fool of himself in that game.

Good to see, and so much for the “trouble in Steelerland” story drummed up to make the haters salivate. Sorry, but a “malcontent” doesn’t come in more dedicated than ever.

The Steelers are a QB-driven team under Roethlisberger. They are not a “run-first team” they are not “all about the defense.” They are all about their true franchise QB — now how about matching the dedication and getting him a real offensive line to play behind?

I bet you were eagerly digging through the new CBA to find a rule violation. Easy to get around, all he had to do is get a workout routine from the coach during the season and then the coach can “oversee” the workout. You’re just so desperate for controversy when there is none.

reed20ravens says:Feb 15, 2012 1:46 PM

yeah his 40 girl bash time is 14.2 seconds

dickroy says:Feb 15, 2012 1:46 PM

Ok Ben work out, but keep you’re mouth shut about change. You have made your point that you don’t want change to all the public. A little whine is starting to show through your continued comments. Getting a little out of your comfort zone won’t hurt you one bit.

Methinks it has more to do with his concern that the Steelers might want to get back to a more run-oriented offense that has him jumping the gun on his off-season training. Nothing like staring down the barrel of irrelevancy to motivate someone to improve!

mrslay1 says:Feb 15, 2012 1:54 PM

Good Lord, I didn’t know Big Ben was hated so much. I am a die hard Cowboy fan but I respect the man for being one of the best QB’s in the league in the last years.

weepingjebus says:Feb 15, 2012 1:57 PM

All I can think of is the training montage in Kung Fu Panda where they use food to teach him martial arts.

ampatsisahypocrite
Feb 15, 2012, 1:44 PM EST
“Good to see, and so much for the “trouble in Steelerland” story drummed up to make the haters salivate. Sorry, but a “malcontent” doesn’t come in more dedicated than ever.”

You should really stop drinking the Kool-Aid. Or at least stop mixing it with water from the Monongahela River.

A really decent post that exposes the reality of a sub-par article is censored. I expect this one will be also!

The truth seems to be that your objective is to just stir the pot and not promote responsible dialogue. Thanks anyway.

cshearing says:Feb 15, 2012 2:15 PM

why would working with the strength & conditioning coach be against the CBA?? Can someone point out a logical reason this would be prohibited?

tobiasjodter says:Feb 15, 2012 2:19 PM

I think he has about 2 more top notch years before the injuries begin to take their toll. Anything more is a bonus.

connie73 says:Feb 15, 2012 2:20 PM

Start with a diet. you are the fattest qb i ever seen. looks like you have a hard time moving around. its so sad that you get motavated
because eli is better than you on and off the field. your words not mine.

He is a fat slob. He is almost as big as Jamarcus Russell and if he played for any other organization in the NFL he would probably be out of the league.

Only QB in the league that can score 1 TD a game and win. He has hidden behind the Pittsburgh defense his entire career. But I guess it is getting harder to hide behind the defense when you are approaching 300+ on the scales.

What’s the problem here? Bouchette made it clear in the article that Ben’s workouts are taking place at the Steelers facility…where the strength and conditioning coach works. Nowhere does it say that he’s supervising Ben’s workout. Sheesh. He gets blasted for being lazy during the offseason, and he gets blasted for working out during the offseason. Also, the way that “working out with” is being interpreted in this article is, at best, a stretch.

I’m sure if he has even a slight physical issue during his training he’ll call a press conference to tell everybody about it. What a phony. At least it’s only the Steeler bandwagon fans believe those embellished injuries at this point.

Im a Steelers fan, I understand the Steelers are popular but what the hell. The past like three days have been filled with drama hyped up by the media. Chill out. He’s working out, so are 85% of the other players right now.

bigbluenationdb says:
Feb 15, 2012 2:28 PM
He is a fat slob. He is almost as big as Jamarcus Russell and if he played for any other organization in the NFL he would probably be out of the league.

Only QB in the league that can score 1 TD a game and win. He has hidden behind the Pittsburgh defense his entire career.
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Yeah, he was really “hiding behind the defense” when he bailed them out in the Super Bowl after that defense BLEW A HUGE 4TH QUARTER LEAD. Sorry dude, you have it all backwards.

THIS is the numbskull myth in action — created by the haters who can’t stand Roethlisberger’s success, so they try and credit “the defense” or “the running game.” Fact is, Roethlisberger has been carrying this team since he came on the scene. Newsflash, chum — this team with the “great defense” was 6-10 the year before Ben was drafted. Got that? Lesson over.

st1llerz1 says:Feb 15, 2012 3:23 PM

Wouldn’t it be nice if, for once, Ben just kept his mouth shut and let his actions speak for themselves? He obviously doesn’t have a way with words, and that’s apparent nearly every time he opens his mouth.

That being said, I understand why fans of other teams dislike him. Dude is a hell of a quarterback. The numbers and Super Bowl trophies don’t lie.

And those that bang on his numbers in the big game need to go back in history and look at the stats leading up to big game. Ben carried the Steelers to the Super Bowl with three road wins before the Seattle game and played damn well the year they played Arizona.

caseyanthonymunoz is obviously a pathetic bungles fan. That team’s never won anything and will surely find someway to screw up what they’re building now.

C’mon bigbluenation, you act like he’s Eli Manning, the guy who does nothing all game til the end, relying on his defense to keep the team in the game. Now THAT’S a guy who gets carried by his D. Really now, you’re getting ridiculous with these comparisons.

bigbluenationdb says:
Feb 15, 2012 2:28 PM
He is a fat slob. He is almost as big as Jamarcus Russell and if he played for any other organization in the NFL he would probably be out of the league.
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This is quite possibly the stupidest comment I have ever read on PFT!!!! An obvious Top Ten QB out of the league if he played for any other team?? Wow…..what an idiot!!!

numberonesteelerhater says:Feb 15, 2012 3:55 PM

I wonder if he is working out to get quicker in the bathroom stalls??? I wonder if he will be able to get away from the law the way he gets away from pass rushers after his next girly incident??? Just sayin.

hineswardcriesafterfumbling says:Feb 15, 2012 3:59 PM

johntonioholmes says:
Feb 15, 2012 2:34 PM

“I like Eli a lot because he beat the Pats twice for me. But he made 2 good throws in each of those games and his defense handled the rest.”
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Holy irony Batman. Eli made 2 good throws in 2 Superbowl victories, which makes 1 more good throw than Roethlisberger has in 3 trips to the Superbowl.

tribesofneurot says:Feb 15, 2012 4:00 PM

Haters hate winners.

And all he has done since he got to Pittsburgh is WIN!!!

ppdoc13 says:Feb 15, 2012 4:02 PM

Tuff division with 3 good young qbs. Ben is actually the “old man” of the division. And if the clowns can trade up to get RG3 the afcn will be one of the best in the league. 4 now, Ben is still the best of the group. Flacco has really closed the gap, but until he gets to and wins the SB, he will not get the attention he deserves. Will be interesting to see if dalton can take the next step or does he have a little 2nd yr slump. I am betting on the later as teams now know what to expect. As far as Cleveland goes, colt McCoy is nothing but a career backup but then so are the majority of his teammates. The browns are just terrible and the future looks lousy considering their competition in the afcn. Go RAVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Brady, Rodgers, Breese, either Manning and throw in Rivers played with that defense they would have even more wins and Super Bowl titles then Big Ben.

The guy hasn’t even been the best QB on the field in any Super Bowl he played in. He holds the record for worse QB rating in the history of the Super Bowl. He has been so bad in the Super Bowl they had to name a WR the MVP in the two he won. And last year against a depleted Green Bay secondary in the second half he couldn’t do jack. Woodson and another Green Bay starter missed the second half of the Super Bowl against Green Bay and he still couldn’t do jack.

Fat boy is overrated. Just look at him on the field. He looks like a slob. Stumbles around in the pocket until somebody eventually gets open and heaves the ball down the field.

bigbluenationdb says:
Feb 15, 2012 4:32 PM
The guy is a bum. He wins games 13-6 against Cleveland.

If Brady, Rodgers, Breese, either Manning and throw in Rivers played with that defense they would have even more wins and Super Bowl titles then Big Ben.
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If Brady, Brees, either Manning and Rivers played behind that poor excuse of an o-line, they’d have lost most of their games! But hey, we won’t give Ben credit for things like that, we’ll only point out the “luxuries” Ben has around him, right? Ah, the numbskull hater in action.

Btw that “defense” has blown more 4th quarter leads, and has had to be bailed out by Ben more times than we can count. No Super Bowl win vs. Arizona except for Ben’s historic game-winning drive.

Again, 6-10 with that “great defense” the year before Ben was drafted. Sorry dude, you’re fighting a losing battle here.

All I am saying is in 3 Super Bowls he has even been the best QB on the field. Worse rating in the history of the Super Bowl against Seattle. His numbers were terrible until that last drive against Arizona. Against a depleted Green Bay secondary he couldn’t get the job done.

I have probably watched more NFL games then the average fan and what I see out of fat boy is average QB play. Until this year the AFC North has been terrible. He should be 5-1 every year in that division especially with a defense that gives up on average 13 points a game.

Just like everyone thinks Bill Cowhard was a great coach. Benefited from coaching in the worse division in football just like Big Ben benefits from playing in the worse division in football. Cincy is a fluke. Didn’t beat a team with a winning record all season.

Look what happen to Pittsburgh last time they played the NFC East 1-3 with their only win over Washington. Will be the same results this year.

What a dumba$$ Do you even watch football? Roth is one of the top QB in the league. It doesn’t matter where he plays!

mrslay1 says:Feb 15, 2012 6:26 PM

Jealous is right. I hate the Steelers as a rivalry, but I love great football. Roth has been the perfect QB for the Steelers. He is tuff, mobil and makes plays which is what the Steelers are all about. I love to watch him play…when it’s not the Cowboys:-)

melikefootball says:Feb 15, 2012 7:09 PM

What does the last paragraph have to do with what Ben said. No wonder there is so much hate for this guy. He said he wants to be ready to play not depending on Haley. What is it with PFT always adding two cents to get more comments.

Maybe he is concerned about showing up fat, dumb & happy this year! As a rookie leading the team to 15-1 (albeit we had a good running game then) he has a LOT of talent. I think they are a little different now that Haley is there and maybe Ben is concerned. I think that is a good thing because sometimes change is good especially when you get complacent! I for one am looking forward to seeing a different Steeler offense this year

That’s right, mrslay1 — the Steelers were 6-10 the year before Ben was drafted. So OBVIOUSLY not just any QB can come in and win simply because of that “great defense.” But the jealous haters never seem to recognize these kinds of facts. Gee, I wonder why…

Eli is not an elite QB. You may think so b/c he won 2 SB’s. Pittsburgh plays in a killer division (literally) And let’s not forget they beat the Pat’s soundly earlier in the year! By a better margiu than your Big Blue!

Honesty is always refreshing. I hate Tom Brady and Ray Lewis for the same reasons. But I have to have respect for them.

They still make great plays for their teams.

mrslay1 says:Feb 15, 2012 9:23 PM

Sadly to many people just want to put down Guys that don’t play for them. I don’t like the Colts or the pats either but I love to watch Manning and Brady. I love great football and respect the one who are the top of the sport! Big Ben is one of those!

mrslay1 says:Feb 15, 2012 10:54 PM

How true How true! And just to add…Their fun to watch!!!

CKL says:Feb 16, 2012 1:04 AM

Well I’m not jealous of BR or his team(I respect the Steelers franchise), I just have always disliked him since 05 when his personality started showing. He’s talented but like I told my mom the Steelers fan back in 05 if he doesn’t start playing the game from the neck up, he won’t make it much past 31-32 when his physical skills that he relies on so much start to desert him.
And whether he does that or not is all up to him and no one else.

bensstinkyfingers says:Feb 16, 2012 3:51 AM

Benny isn’t fat, he’s big boned. Just because the tags on his football pants read “Husky” doesn’t mean he’s a big fatty. I’m sure he’ll bounce back this year. Bounce back 5 yards after getting his immobile Cottage cheese butt sacked every 3rd. play. Marriage adds 20lbs. and the tv cameras add 15lbs. so Ben should be checking in around 335 unless he sticks to his Pilates routine. I wish him luck.

Allycat209 says:Feb 16, 2012 6:58 AM

Steelers fans sure do over rate Ben. Talking down someone like Eli Manning who is a 2x SB MVP (Ben has ZERO). Someone who displays courage, leadership, and consistency. Someone who makes unbelievably precise and gutsy throws that even Tom Terrific hasn’t the guts to throw. Who carries his offense. Anyone who says the defense and/or run game helped Eli is being stupid.

Eli Manning– most road playoff wins in the history of the NFL. Most 4th quarter touchdowns passes in the history of the NFL over Peyton and Unitas. On and on. Kid had a historically great season and Ben is doing sit-ups. Well, Goody for Big Ben.

quittsburghstoolers says:Feb 16, 2012 7:10 AM

tribesofneurot says:Feb 15, 2012 4:00 PM

Haters hate winners.

And all he has done since he got to Pittsburgh is WIN!!!

———————————————————-

That’s not “all he’s done”.

He has also done several stupid things that were an
embarrassment to the team, aka the Milledgeville incident,
the motorcycle helmet fiasco, and
the walking-outta-the-club-without-paying-the-tab story.

Allycat209 says:
Feb 16, 2012 6:58 AM
Steelers fans sure do over rate Ben. Talking down someone like Eli Manning who is a 2x SB MVP (Ben has ZERO). Someone who displays courage, leadership, and consistency. Someone who makes unbelievably precise and gutsy throws that even Tom Terrific hasn’t the guts to throw. Who carries his offense. Anyone who says the defense and/or run game helped Eli is being stupid.
————————————————-

ANOTHER numbskull checks in.

First Super Bowl vs. Patriots = won by the Giants defensive line, not Eli Manning.

Second Super Bowl, Eli Manning “MVP” my BUTT. He did nothing most of the game. The Giants lose if not for a dropped New England pass. Wes Welker is the real Giants’ MVP.